Shudokan Martial Arts Association ▪ PO Box 6022, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-6022 http://smaa-hq.com/ ▪ shudokan@smaa-hq.com ▪ 1-734-645-6441

SMAA JOURNAL

ANNOUNCEMENTS OBJECTIVES OF THE SMAA

1. To promote and aid in the growth of Japan’s

traditional arts and ways.

2. To assist the public in achieving spiritual

growthand physical development through

budo/bujutsu.

3. To further friendship and understanding

between Asian and Western martial artists.

4. To establish goodwill and harmony among

martial artists of various systems.

5. To offer Western martial artists access to

legitimate budo/bujutsu organizations and

teachers in Japan.

6. To give practitioners of authentic

budo/bujutsu recognition for their years of

devotion to these arts.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

▪ Karl Scott Sensei

▪ Nicklaus Suino Sensei

▪ H. E. Davey Sensei

Editor: H. E. Davey Sensei

Assistant Editor: Troy Swenson Sensei

Webmaster: Don Prior Sensei

General Manager: Nicklaus Suino Sensei

Vol . 21, I ssue 2

2016

2016 SMAA DUES

Membership fees were due on January 1, 2016.

Please be sure to pay your SMAA dues on time. You

can either send a check to our headquarters or pay

online at http://www.smaa-hq.com/payments.

php. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal. This

is a quick and safe way to make your annual SMAA

membership payment.

We appreciate our members paying dues promptly.

It makes life easier for the SMAA staff of

volunteers, and it is representative of the type of

self-discipline we are cultivating through the study

of traditional Japanese martial arts.

DONATIONS & TAX DEDUCTIONS

The SMAA is a federally tax-exempt, nonprofit

corporation. As such, your donations to our

association are tax deductible. Send your

donations, in the form of a check or money order

(made out to SMAA), to our headquarters in

Michigan. We’ll send you a letter back

acknowledging your contribution, which you can

then use for tax purposes. We hope you’ll support

the SMAA in our goal to preserve and promote

traditional budo and koryu bujutsu.

E-MAIL

Please make sure we have your correct e-mail

address. Without this address, we can’t e-mail you

the SMAA Journal.

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SMAA Journal Vol . 21, I ssue 2

I IssueI2

Do you have a new e-mail address? Have you sent it

to hedavey@aol.com? If not, we also won’t be able

to send you SMAA publications, so please be sure to

let us know if your e-mail address changes.

SMAA PATCHES

The SMAA HQ is selling official SMAA patches for

your gi. They’re great looking patches that embody

the spirit and honor instilled in members of our

group. They won’t fade or bleed when you bleach

them, and yet we’ve been able to keep the cost

down. Each patch is basically a 3 ½ inch circle

featuring our logo below:

To order, go to the “Payments” section of

www.smaa-hq.com or send a check or money order

made out to “SMAA” to:

SMAA HQ

PO Box 6022

Ann Arbor, MI 48106-6022

USA

FACEBOOK PAGE

Our patches were produced using state of the art

digitizing and ultra-modern technology to create an

accurate and attractive embroidered emblem. They

feature tight stitches, sharp detail, clean lettering,

and top quality craftsmanship. There’s no jagged

stitching, but we’ve still got plenty of stitches so that

the background doesn’t show through.

The patch should be worn on the left side of your gi

jacket near your heart. SMAA policy mandates only

one patch per uniform to maintain the sense of

dignity associated with traditional budo.

These new patches are a great way to show your

respect and enthusiasm for our group; we hope all

of our members will order at least one. And the best

part is the patches are only $5.00 (US) each! (E-mail

shudokan@smaa-hq.com about special shipping for

international orders.)

Have you been to the SMAA Facebook page? If not,

you’re missing out on the latest SMAA news,

features, videos, photos, and information. It’s easy

and safe to join Facebook, and all you need to do is

click the “Like” button to become a follower of our

Facebook page. This is the fastest way to get SMAA

news and updates, and we hope you’ll drop by

http://www.facebook.com/ShudokanMartialArtsAss

ociation and check it out. Once you’re on Facebook,

we hope you’ll share our page with your friends and

help us promote the SMAA.

SMAA ONLINE PAYMENTS

Did you know you can pay for your annual dues at

our website using PayPal or a major credit card? You

can, and you can also pay for gi patches and

promotions in the same way. This is a much faster,

and in some ways more secure, means of sending

money to our headquarters. We hope more of our

members will make use of this feature. Just drop by

http://smaa-hq.com/payments.php for more

information.

THE BEST OF THE SMAA JOURNAL CD-ROM

To celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2009, the SMAA

created a special CD-ROM that contained a sampling

of some of the best stories and articles to appear in

the SMAA Journal since 1994. We mailed this free of

charge to everyone in the SMAA as a way of showing

our appreciation to our members.

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Vol . 21 I ssue 2

41 I IssueI2

Although our anniversary has past, it’s still not too

late to get a copy of this CD-ROM, which is packed

with hard to find information about budo and koryu

bujutsu. For $8.95, plus $3.00 shipping and

handling ($5.00 outside the USA), we’ll send you

The Best of the SMAA Journal.

Send your check or money order to the SMAA HQ.

Supplies are limited to the number of CDs

remaining.

SMAA YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Want to see some great videos of SMAA teachers,

officials, and members? Now you can by visiting our

YouTube channel. We’re Shudokan1994, because

1994 is the year the SMAA was founded.

To see video of SMAA teachers and members, go to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg5NIka6Ge0

&list=PLS11_XCH8RkI868tRKZ0fdJFSeFGyNZ0o

To see video of the amazing experts that trained

leading SMAA officials and teachers, go to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcE7zBhv9Hs&

list=PLS11_XCH8RkIV8IiNZoXl93Wl79BLe1NZ

OTSUKA SOKE NEWS

Otsuka Yasuyuki Sensei, the current Soke

(Headmaster) of Meifu-Shinkage Ryu, is a member

of the SMAA Board of Advisors. Meifu-Shinkage Ryu

is based on Katori Shinto Ryu, one of Japan's oldest

forms of koryu bujutsu. Meifu-Shinkage Ryu

specializes in the use of shuriken (throwing stars

and darts) and the fundo kusari, a weighted chain.

Otsuka Sensei is one of the highest-ranking martial

artists in Japan and one of very few people in the

world teaching an authentic system of shuriken-

jutsu.

The SMAA is active around the world and lead by

both Western and Japanese martial arts experts.

Otsuka Sensei is just one of a number of prominent

martial arts teachers in Japan, who actively support

our association and validate the ranks issued by the

SMAA.

On July 23 and 24, Otsuka Soke taught two seminars

in the Kansai area, specifically in Osaka. Early in

July, he visited the Netherlands for a seminar over

Otsuka Soke in the Kansai area of Japan

Otsuka Soke (center) teaching in Finland this September

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SMAA Journal Vol . 21, I ssue 2

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several days. He lives in Ichikawa-Shi, Chiba, Japan

and teaches throughout Japan, Europe, and the USA.

In early September, Otsuka Soke visited Finland. He

taught Meifu-Shinkage Ryu and exposed European

students to traditional Japanese culture. The event

lasted for three days.

Otsuka Soke will lead his annual Meifu-Shinkage Ryu

Autumn Camp in Japan again in 2016. The dates are

September 30 through October 2.

In October 2016, Otsuka Soke travels to Chile. He’ll

teach at a special two-day Meifu-Shinkage Ryu

seminar in Santiago. The dates are October 22-23.

SUINO SENSEI NEWS

Nicklaus Suino Sensei’s Japanese Martial Arts Center

(JMAC) will be moving to a new location in October.

Their new and improved dojo will be at:

Japanese Martial Arts Center

2875 Boardwalk Drive

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

USA

In August, Suino Sensei hosted a special Kodokan

judo and Tomiki-style aikido seminar with his friend

Satoh Tadayuki Sensei of Japan. The event took place

on August 23 and 24 at JMAC.

Otsuka Soke will visit Chile in October

Satoh Sensei is one of the world’s leading Shodokan

aikido experts. He was taught by Tomiki Kenji

Sensei, founder of Shodokan aikido, in the living

room of his house every Sunday. He has an in-depth

knowledge of Tomiki Sensei’s aikido system, and he

is also an accomplished judoka. Satoh Sensei, sixth

dan, was granted the position of Shihan of Waseda

University Aikido club in 2007. This position had

been vacant since Professor Tomiki’s death in 1979.

He is an expert in his field, and in particular, the link

between Kodokan judo and Tomiki-style aikido. He

also teaches aikido at the Japan Police University.

The seminar focused on classical Kodokan judo and

Shodokan aikido as well as how these two disciplines

Otsuka Soke will lead a camp in Japan at the end of September

Satoh Sensei in teaching in Michigan

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TURNING 60: A RETROSPECTIVE ON 40 YEARS IN THE MARTIAL By Stephen M. Fabian

We moved across the polished and sweat-dappled

floor kicking and swinging at each other, while

nearby a body slammed to the ground with an

audible thud. This was not a wild melee, however,

can be integrated. Classes for adults and children

were offered.

2016 SMAA KENTUCKY SEMINAR

Thanks to everyone that participated in the SMAA

Kentucky Seminar in August! Thanks as well to

Stephen Fabian Sensei and Cyna Khalily Sensei for

providing excellent instruction in iaijutsu, bojutsu,

jujutsu, and karate-do!

Fabian Sensei teaching Hontai Yoshin Ryu bojutsu

Iaijutsu at the SMAA Kentucky Seminar

Jujutsu at the SMAA Kentucky Seminar

international nonprofit association. Please make a

point of referring your budo friends to www.smaa-

hq.com. We appreciate your support of the SMAA

and our ongoing series of seminars in traditional

budo and koryu bujutsu.

It was a great opportunity to study Hontai Yoshin

Ryu and Chito Ryu with two leading experts and

certified SMAA teachers. We’re working on setting

up more world class training opportunities. Of

course, these seminars will be reasonably priced and

discounts will be offered to SMAA members.

These low-cost special events are just one of the

many benefits associated with being part of our

but rather the controlled mayhem of a martial arts

class. You may ask why we risk injuring ourselves,

why we train so hard that perspiration pours from

us like water and our breath comes in gulping

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possibilities of physical, mental, and spiritual

development. But I was only able to formally take

up the martial way after hanging up my football

cleats and track spikes in college.

What attracted me to East Asian martial arts when I

was 20 years old was partly their promise of

continuing physical fitness after leaving the coached

regimen of interscholastic athletics, partly the

opportunity to remain competitive (especially while

in my 20s) in an athletic activity, partly the

practicality of self defense skills, and partly or even

mostly the exotic, even esoteric or mystical promise

of expertise and mastery in a system of movement

and behavior unlike anything I had experienced

before and which tugged at and promised to

assuage some deep inner yearning. What this deep

inner yearning was or might be remains somewhat

unclear to me still today. Ideally, I was seeking some

way to more fully develop and integrate my outer

and inner abilities, to calm a somewhat nervous

Fabian Sensei

gasps, why we cut and thrust with ancient weapons

when knives and guns abound on the streets. Well,

training in the martial arts can provide self-

defense skill, but so much more: the exuberance

of robust health, self-esteem, and confidence; rich

cultural heritage; strong camaraderie; and the

unity of mind, body, and spirit. Training in the

martial arts helps me with schoolwork, chores –

anything I do. So I’m happy when my training

partner thumps me: he’s helping me be a better

person!

I originally wrote this description of a typical martial

arts class as an example of a short essay focused on

a favorite activity for a writing class I was teaching

in which students were crafting college application

essays. While it had the utility of “showing” as well

as telling in order to grab reader attention—and was

exactly the requisite 150 words—it also accurately

expressed my sincere thoughts about one of my

favorite activities, an activity that has developed into

an avocation of 40 years’ duration. Now, having

turned 60 in January and in good Japanese fashion

celebrating my kanreki (or honke gaeri—second life

or rebirth), I’m reassessing and reflecting on my

years of martial training: why did I start training?

Why did I stick with it for four decades? And, where

do I go from here?

WHY I STARTED TRAINING

I’m not sure I even knew there was a category of

activity known as “martial arts” until I was entering

my teen years –there were certainly no training halls

or programs anywhere near my semi-rural home in

upstate New York in the 1960s. Though I eventually

saw some martial arts movies, my most memorable

episode of martial arts viewing came with the 1972

pilot movie to the television series Kung Fu, starring

David Carradine and under the technical direction of

David Chow. With its depiction of martial and

personal mastery as displayed by Shaolin monks, the

film and series profoundly impacted me as a

somewhat philosophically-oriented high school

scholar athlete, providing a glimpse into

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Vol . 21 I ssue 2

41 I IssueI2

personality, and to cultivate skills that would help

me defend myself and my loved ones and give me

the health, strength, and confidence to do what I

could for others and be the best person I could be.

That all sounds pretty idealistic and even fanciful,

but it’s fairly accurate as far as I can understand and

express it now. The motivations behind those aims

were complex, a blend of my religious and morals-

focused upbringing, my sensitive nature, my athletic

interests, my dad’s ill health despite his terrific

power packed into a small frame (he died of cardio-

vascular complications at the age of 60 on the very

day I left for college as an 18 year-old), and even my

encounter while out on a Boy Scout hike with a cat

that had been tortured and hung up to die --I

couldn’t understand such cruelty: it sickened me.

Yet I knew to prevent it or protect the weak

effectively required one to be very strong. The film

Kung Fu revealed a world and a system that seemed

to hold out the promise of fulfillment on all of these

motivations, and so as soon as it was practical –

beginning with a college gym class—I did what I

could to embark on this Way.

My early martial involvement was pretty

serendipitous and eclectic. A college classmate with

a black belt asked several of us if we wanted to train

with him, which I did around the same time that I

enrolled in the gym class in Goju Ryu karate-do

taught by an ex-military guy. The new movements

and demands on my body and mind enthralled me,

and I began reading whatever I could find on Asian

martial arts, religion, and philosophy. Though some

of this early training was intense, I still felt I was only

dabbling or swishing my foot in the water rather

than being fully immersed. So when I graduated

from college and went on to graduate school I

sought out a context in which my training, despite

the demands of my Ph.D. program, could take on

new form and fullness. And it did. Within a year

after beginning grad school I was the live-in

caretaker of a Korean dojang and training several

hours each day in the intensive kicking and

punching regimen of a traditionalist immigrant

taekwondo instructor. I would clean the place each

day, scrub my dobok (“uniform”) after practice, and

in the evenings after putting aside my school work I

would burn some incense, sip ginseng tea, and

meditate. Shaolin temple life had come alive for

me—admittedly in a very modified and crude form—

and I was utterly sincere in the effort I made to

commit to this Way. (More details of my martial

training and the precepts gleaned from it are shared

in my book, Clearing Away Clouds: Nine Lessons for

Life from the Martial Arts.)

WHY I STAYED WITH TRAINING

Despite my intended commitment to the martial

Way, I couldn’t live in the dojang forever. There was

my graduate anthropological fieldwork that took me

out of the country and eventually my graduation and

progression into new phases of life. I had to leave

the “temple” behind, but at another level I knew that

actually I was the temple, not the Spartan abode in a

cinder block building in the Midwest.

Clearly one’s surroundings and life context can and

do significantly affect one’s life and development.

While I bow humbly, respectfully, and gratefully to

my teachers for their skillful instruction and help

along the Way—especially Nam Kwon Hyong and

Namsoo Hyong; the 18th soke or head of the Hontai

Yoshin Ryu Inoue Tsuyoshi Munetoshi, who opened

his heart, his house, and his private dojo to me;

other menkyokaidensha or masters of the Hontai

Yoshn Ryu system: Inoue Kyoichi Munenori

(currently the 19th soke of the system), Mitsuyasu

Yoshihiro (currently head of the Yogi Juku system),

and Yasumoto Akiyoshi (currently head of Moto Ha

Ryu)—ultimately we are our own temples, our own

founts of wisdom and inspiration, our own mentors

and guides.

Still, staying on the martial Way throughout one’s

life can be very challenging. Injuries may sideline

you and discourage or even limit you indefinitely

from further involvement. Personal and professional

responsibilities and demands may make it almost

impossible to maintain a regular training regimen,

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especially if your job or access to your training hall

requires considerable time traveling. Expenses may

force you to reconsider your priorities, as many

commercial schools or rental space can be quite

expensive and as the cost of living may increase with

your student loan bills, car and house payments, the

financial needs of a growing family, or unexpected

medical bills or natural disaster repairs. The aging

process itself may discourage you as you struggle—

ultimately unsuccessfully—to retain the flexibility,

speed, and power of your youth. And your chosen

style may hinder or facilitate your longevity of active

training in the martial Way. But whether you need

the external stimulation of motivational writings,

speakers, and activity, or rely more on your own

intrinsic interests and drives to keep moving you

forward, it is very much worthwhile staying with

martial training for the long haul. So try to find a

system that works for you.

There is enough diversity of styles of martial arts

and martial arts teachers to offer something for just

about everyone. While shopping around is

discouraged within the more traditional martial

systems, the vicissitudes of life, moving around

during phases of one’s life course, and the

coincidence of what styles are available where and

when, may mean an interested individual may try

any number of systems in a lifetime. I’ve trained or

dabbled or participated in seminars in Philippine

sikaran, American-adapted Goju Ryu karate-do,

Chito Ryu karate-do, Brazilian capoeira, Korean

taekwondo, Chinese wing chun and tai chi chuan,

and Japanese jujutsu, bojutsu, iaijutsu, kendo,

naginata-do, judo, and aikido. My main systems,

what I train regularly on an ongoing basis, are the

basic foot and hand techniques and poomsae, or

“forms,” of taekwondo, Japanese sword training of

Yamaguchi-ha Toyama Ryu batto-do or iaido, and

the full weapons and unarmed jujutsu curriculum of

the Hontai Yoshin Ryu bujutsu.

Although this advice may not please the ardent

traditionalists or purists who prefer the total

dedication of their students to their style and system

of training, for real longevity and fulfillment in

martial training, I suggest that while adhering

strictly to your main style’s patterns and details, you

personalize and enhance your training by bringing

in or emphasizing elements that appeal to you and

fit your body type and ultimate training and life

goals. So, I add elbow and knee strikes and boxing

moves to my kick-punch workouts, and cross train

throughout the week in a combination of weight

training, calisthenics, running, and various

stretching, limbering up, and breathing drills, in

addition to sessions focused on traditional Japanese

weaponry and the locks, holds, take downs, and

throws of jujutsu. And I strive to build in whenever

possible the practice of seated Zen meditation and

its non-thinking mind of simple and pure existence

(which, of course, is anything but simple). This

latter emphasis on what might be called intuitive

cognitive patterns is also a good complement to the

intellectual emphasis accompanying my

professional career in education, first as a college

professor and more recently in a private high school.

In the Zen story, whose moral is a reminder to empty

one’s cup, it’s not insignificant that the one whose

cup is too full to permit anything else to enter is a

professor. Working at cultivating the Zen mind

helps keep me as a professional educator from

egotistical complacency and the unfortunate and

false notion that I already have all the answers.

This eclectic and personalized mix fits my body,

personality, available time, and training objectives.

I also find the variety to be therapeutic and

restorative for past injuries—between football, other

sports, and martial arts I’ve suffered some broken

bones, massive contusions, abrasions, torn tissues,

minor corrective surgeries, and various strains and

sprains—and the wear and tear of daily life and

aging. Together, the mix serves to cultivate my

physical, mental, and spiritual capacities (and by

spiritual I refer to inner qualities not exactly mental

that connect with an essence and power beyond

ourselves and currently not measurable or

explicable by science). And since our various

capacities continue to develop and change as we

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41 I IssueI2

course through life, there can always be some

freshness to how our training affects us and what we

get out of it.

I also continued my training because just doing the

activities felt pleasing and fulfilling, and frankly,

because I was good at it. I captained a sparring team

and began a university club as part of my taekwondo

involvement, and then after 10 years along the

martial Way our family moved to Japan for three

years. That was when my martial training really

matured under the effective tutelage of the head and

master instructors of the Hontai Yoshin Ryu system

of bujutsu, or “traditional martial arts.” Formal

sessions in jujutsu, iaijutsu (sword training), and

staff training (bojutsu) dotted the weekly schedule

in the traditional Japanese dojo. In between these

classes I worked out in solo sessions in the park near

our apartment, lifted light weights and did

calisthenics in our tiny abode, and often ran to and

from the training hall. At the same time I became an

assistant professor in a Japanese women’s college,

we delivered our second daughter into the world and

had her blessed in the local Shinto shrine, I studied

the shakuhachi, or “bamboo flute,” we practiced Zen

meditation in and out of formal training sessions,

engaged in traditional cultural practices such as New

Year’s rice pounding and local matsuri, or “festivals,”

and tried to enter as fully as possible into Japanese

life to experience their world empathetically, or as

anthropology’s founding father Bronislaw

Malinowski put it, trying to see the world through

the native’s eyes.

Of course, not everyone with an interest in the

martial Way can take up life in the Orient, and even

if doing so, may not be fortunate enough to benefit

from some of the opportunities that came my way,

opportunities for which I am profoundly grateful to

the powers that be. There were martial arts

workshops explicitly for foreigners as recommended

by their Japanese instructors, meditation sessions,

and countless opportunities to observe and display

martial activities, especially associated with New

Years celebrations, or kagami biraki, when I was

typically the only gaijin (“foreigner”) demonstrating

classical Japanese martial arts to an audience of

contemporary Japanese. My most memorable overt

success in the martial arts came at the 4th All Japan

(and functionally, international) Toyama Ryu Iaido

Championship held in Hyogo prefecture, where we

lived and trained. A series of duels in demonstrating

kata (sword “forms”) before judges, this

championship hosted practitioners from around the

world as well as from different Japanese prefectures,

and at the end of the day I had become the first

foreigner to ever win first place, having defeated all

my competitors in the adult male first- and second-

degree black belt division. Our time in Japan came

to an end, and we returned to the US for new

personal and professional challenges. I continued

to train and share the Japanese arts I’d practiced in

Japan, and in 1997 I was officially recognized and

honored as the USA branch head of the Hontai

Yoshin Ryu.

Training martial arts differs in the US from what it’s

like in Japan, but we have to work with what we’ve

got. What is fundamentally needed is one’s own

inner commitment to the Way. What this looks and

feels like for each person is likely as diverse as all of

us who pursue this Way. So find what you can and

do what you can where and when you can. I know

how hard that can be, but at times the martial artist

needs to slice through all of the complications,

difficulties, challenges, and excuses—cutting

asunder with a metaphorically massive dai shomen

giri (“great front cut”) all encumbrances to training.

Period.

For in the end, the training is worth all you put into

it. In addition to the physical fitness and proficient

self-defense abilities, the heightened awareness

and mental acuity, the refined intuition and

blossoming inner self, and the integration of these

facets of one’s being, there is the

moral/ethical/values component of the martial Way,

as well. No, a sound set of moral precepts and

laudable social values do not come automatically by

swinging a sword, punching a makiwara, or

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grappling with a training partner on the mats. But

at their core, the traditional martial systems of East

Asia are deeply embedded in sets of moral codes

that were the ethical guideposts for their respective

societies. This is classically detailed for Japanese

bushido—the warrior code of the samurai—in Nitobe

Inazo’s Bushido: The Soul of Japan, but also found

expression in Korea’s hwarang, Silla dynasty (57

BCE- 935 CE) knights known for their chivalrous

values as well as their fighting ability, and may also

be associated with the ideal man, or junzi in

Confucian ideology. When taught and trained

properly, today’s systems of East Asian martial arts

continue to transmit this tradition.

Right from the start when entering a traditional dojo,

dojang, or kwoon, one can immediately sense an

aura of respect—respect for the teacher and senior

students, respect for one’s training partner, respect

for the training space itself and the weapons and

other artifacts within it, and respect for oneself as a

practicing member within that honored space. This

respect is visibly demonstrated by bows, deferential

responses and demeanor, but is more subtle and

pervasive, not merely limited to these outward

manifestations. It is both a reflection of the respect

emanating from the instructor, and a response to

his/her example of strength (inner and outer),

benevolence, and compassion, qualities usually

evident even in the most demanding taskmaster and

disciplinarian if cut from the proper traditional cloth.

In addition to these, other core values associated

with the traditional martial Way include courage,

tenacity, or grit; a well-formed sense of justice,

duty, loyalty, and honor; all complemented by

humility, honesty, and wisdom. Unfortunately,

examples abound of martial artists who exemplify

values and ethical codes in stark contrast to these—

famous battles lost due to disloyal generals

betraying their sworn allegiance, or martial

instructors who prey upon their students’ gullibility

and physical or financial resources—but these

lapses in living the morals and uprightness of the

traditional cultures and their martial systems do not

negate their ideal relevance and significance. And

these revered traditional values are still important

today, perhaps more so than ever, as 21st century

society struggles with its materialism and violence,

need for immediate gratification and personal

recognition, and confused and distracted anomie

with its tendency toward drug use or other

perception-altering stimuli and general moral

turpitude. The significance of the cultivation and

reinforcement of the traditional positive values

embedded in genuine East Asian martial systems

and worn like a dignified and protective cloak by

those walking the true martial Way is a very powerful

personal motivation for my continuing martial

training and teaching.

And then there’s the social aspect of martial

training. Whether your class size is large or small,

there is an energy that comes from training with

others that you contribute to and can be empowered

from, at times helping you get more from yourself

than you thought you had in you. While training with

others you also have the opportunity to learn from

them and in turn contribute to their learning. More

often than not, you should feel exhilaration about

going to class, and despite the fatigue after a good

session, also an inner exhilaration following it. And

since you’re sharing a voluntary and somewhat self-

selective activity, there is bound to be at least

someone with whom a strong and meaningful

personal relationship can develop based on shared

interests and companionable temperaments. The

more integrated into your life your martial activities

can be, the more you’re likely to get out of them,

and sharing your martial activities with good friends

or family members can really enhance the quality of

your training and your life. It can be an opportunity

for family members to bond and share more than an

occasional “Hi” and “Bye” as you whiz off to different

time demands and activities, and of course the

advantages for helping younger children develop

crucial physical coordination as well as self-

confidence and self-esteem from a well-designed

martial arts program are well known. The right

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training group can itself also become family-like in

its closeness, often there for emotional support and

other forms of collaboration and sharing, especially

if some social time in addition to training can be

structured in for the group.

On the other hand, while positive social aspects of

martial training are important and desirable, I can

feel the most fulfilled and energized with solo

training, especially outdoors in the freshness of

dawn. Whether training sword or other traditional

weapons or moving through patterns of unarmed

techniques, I’ve often experienced something

magical and deeply spiritual while training as the

dimness of dawn begins to brighten into the fullness

of day. Birds flutter and sing, daylight filters

through tendrils of mist, and the trees, grass and

shrubs seem to nod, approve, and support my

movements. While the camaraderie of group

training helps us to apply our techniques, learn with

and from others, and tap into group energy and

synergy, solo training is essential for refining your

technique and polishing your spirit. It allows you to

dig deeper into your self, while at the same time

merging this self with the cosmos that is around you

and touching you and within you. Perhaps if you

have felt something like this you can understand

what I mean when I mention the spiritual aspects of

martial training, possibly the most significant

influence on why I’ve stuck with my training for 40

years.

WHY I WILL CONTINUE TO TRAIN

No mortal human can escape death. Perhaps we can

extend our lives a few years by taking proper care of

ourselves, and training in martial arts can contribute

to that care. But more than the length of our lives,

it seems to me, is the quality with which we live our

lives that is important. And in my experience I’ve

found that training in the martial arts can definitely

contribute to that. While I may not have fully

developed and integrated my inner and outer

abilities and potentials, or saved and protected all of

the weak, the martial Way as I am experiencing it has

contributed positively to all of the areas that

originally motivated me to begin training in the first

place. And it has enhanced everything else I’ve done

in my life, from cleaning toilets and driving a bus, to

being a caring son, brother, husband, and father,

and to teaching and coaching adolescents and

young adults. And that as much as anything else

explains why I will continue to train.

Have I managed to completely calm the nervousness

of my youth? No, not completely, though the

confidence, breath control, and mental focusing

techniques I’ve learned through martial training

have helped me confront the rigors of

anthropological fieldwork as a Fulbright scholar in

the hinterland of Brazil, complete a Ph.D. program

despite being a first generation college student,

raise a family, and venture into new locales and

professional roles—quite an improvement over the

youth who needed treatment for what was

diagnosed then as a “nervous stomach.” And while

I haven’t developed the spectacular abilities

associated with qi or ki—“inner energy”—as depicted

in Chinese martial arts films, I have put hands and

feet through various boards and blocks in ways that

at times seemed to surpass mere physical strength

and technique, and I’ve pushed my mind-body

through a training regimen that went beyond my

purely cardio-vascular conditioning at the time. By

describing these successes I’m not claiming

“mastery” of any sort—indeed, while it sounds trite,

for as much as I may have accomplished in and

through martial training, there is so much more to

the Way that I have not yet experienced. Rather, I’m

simply recognizing attributes and attainments I very

likely would not have had without my martial

training. This inner strength that has come along

with decades of martial training is perhaps one of

the most enduring and significant contributions to

personal development and one of the most

important reasons to continue training into one’s

senior or sunset years. One of the maxims of the

Hontai Yoshin Ryu is to be soft on the outside but

hard on the inside. I take this to mean at least in

part to develop the heart of a warrior, the ferocity of

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a tiger, the intensity of the snarling visage of Fudo

Myo-o, who guards the Buddhist Way. With this

inner fire we can continue to move ourselves forward

even when our outer strength ebbs and our steps

physically falter.

In addition to wanting to continue to travel the

martial Way because of the positive contributions it

has made to my life already, I also hope to still learn

and apply more from this holistic path. My

understanding and application of the physical

techniques of the styles I train and share continue to

grow and mature—not only are there still new

techniques to learn, but better proficiency and depth

awaits in techniques I’ve already trained for years.

Beyond this, the inner mental and spiritual

dimensions of the Way are still only marginally

developed in my training and teaching, and I hope

to enrich that aspect as I move forward. Also, many

of the traditional martial systems include healing

arts as a natural concomitant to their pugilistic

activities, yet this aspect has been sadly minimal in

my previous training, begs for greater attention, and

is ultimately also partly related to the inner facets of

training and the proper cultivation, stimulation, and

control of our ki/qi. This I hope to redress as I move

forward following this, my year of “rebirth.” In part

to facilitate exploration of deeper, inner, and healing

facets of the martial Way that may take me farther

afield from my core styles, as part of my rebirth and

effort to move forward along the martial Way I have

been granted the right to pass my position of Hontai

Yoshin Ryu Branch Head to my senior student, Brian

Barnes, an SMAA certified teacher, and have moved

into an advisory capacity in the Japanese tradition of

“retired” leaders, who maintain an active presence

related to their former roles.

Awareness of the martial Way’s contributions to my

life, and also the recognition that there’s still more

to be learned from it, keeps me on it. After striving

to follow its winding course for 40 years, it’s not

only become part of who I am, but I recognize how

much more I need it the farther I move along my

life’s trajectory. Understandable by the laws of

nature, but somewhat ironic, is that as we age and

arguably need to be in better shape to stand up to

the challenges of time, the easier it is to fall out of

shape and the harder it is to get it back. And that

reality is in itself another motivation to continue

training: at 60 I can no longer rely on youthful vigor

to get me over the next hill or mountain. I know I

have to work at actively staying in shape or more

quickly become winded and feel feeble, sensations

that are inevitable but worth staving off as long and

as much as possible. We also know that as we age

various systems in the body begin to work less

effectively, even break down, and medical science

now assures us that regular exercise can help keep

these systems healthier, from our cardio-vascular

health and other inner and glandular processes

through musculo-skeletal capacities and even to

mental stimulation and function. Indeed, regular

exercise may be the closest we’ll ever come to a true

fountain of youth, and martial training can certainly

be a core part of your personal exercise and fitness

regimen at any age and stage of your life.

The martial Way may not be for everyone, but it has

something powerful to offer anyone sincerely willing

to put genuine effort into it. To borrow a concept

from Carlos Castaneda’s Yaqui mentor, don Juan, I

have found the martial Way to be a true “path with

heart,” and I intend to stay on it as long as I am able

to continue putting one foot in front of the other

along it.

About the Author: Stephen Fabian, Ph.D., is a

licensed Shihan, seventh dan, and co-Director of the

Jujutsu Division of the Shudokan Martial Arts

Association. He lives, works, and shares his martial

Way in central New Jersey, where he is actively

seeking new and committed students for his Hon

Yoshin Dojo. He may be contacted care of the SMAA.

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YOUR GUIDE TO BUDO AND KORYU BUJUTSU—PART TWO By H. E. Davey

SO, KORYU BUJUTSU IS FOR ANCIENT BATTLEFIELD

COMBAT, AND BUDO IS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH.

NEITHER ONE WORKS FOR SELF-DEFENSE.

Nope. Still too simplistic. Like most facets of life,

gray areas abound in the koryu arts and modern

budo.

Donn F. Draeger Sensei (1922-1982), perhaps

history’s most influential Western authority on koryu

bujutsu and budo, was one of the first authors to

clearly delineate the differences between these two

broad categories of Japanese combat. These are still

not always clearly understood by some martial arts

enthusiasts in Japan, to say nothing of Western

countries.

Draeger Sensei, starting in the 1970s, clearly

demarcated what constitutes koryu bujutsu and

what should be termed budo. Because he was

establishing a precedent, he had an inclination to

write in somewhat black and white terms, which was

necessary since his audience was largely unfamiliar

with the topics he was addressing. While most

authorities in Japan have always distinguished

modern budo from koryu bujutsu, they haven’t

always given precise, clear definitions of the two

entities. Due to this fact, Mr. Draeger was forced to

partially create his own terminology of delineation.

Complicating matters further, some of his readers

weren’t well versed in the Japanese martial arts and

Ways, and probably misunderstood aspects of his

writings, while others read into his works what they

wanted to see.

Since Mr. Draeger's works were without precedent,

most subsequent English language books and

magazine articles on koryu bujutsu/budo were

based, directly or indirectly, on his writings.

Unfortunately, through no fault of Draeger Sensei's,

some of these authors didn't get it and printed

distorted descriptions and definitions. Over time

these distortions built upon themselves, causing

misunderstandings, which affect the way Westerners

practice as well as view the Japanese martial

arts/Ways.

Before Mr. Draeger's works appeared, few martial

artists could distinguish between koryu bujutsu and

budo, yet at present some teachers and authors

have gone to the opposite extreme and indicate that

koryu bujutsu and budo are as different as day and

night. Nevertheless, even day and night are linked

by dawn and dusk. Likewise, koryu bujutsu and

budo share commonalties, and most people that

have spent time in Japan realize that many Japanese

martial artists acknowledge the numerous technical

and philosophical gray areas that exist between

them. Actually, a number of Japanese associations

are less disturbed by this overlap than are some

Western martial arts groups and experts.

BUT I HEARD KORYU BUJUTSU IS WHAT YOU WANT

FOR REAL COMBAT.

Yes, lots of people have heard or read this. And if

you could magically transport yourself back to old

Japan, the koryu would be the way to go for combat

purposes, but even this would be in a military

context. The average farmer or merchant wasn’t

studying koryu bujutsu for self-defense.

Despite this fact, some martial arts fans keep hoping

to “do a real jutsu,” such as jujutsu, instead of

training in the more common systems of budo.

Then, they conclude, they’ll be able to practice

“something that’s really designed for street self

defense.” These would-be koryu bujutsu devotees

have misinterpreted Mr. Draeger's statement that

only koryu forms, as opposed to budo, are effective

for combative purposes, and they often incorrectly

assume that koryu bujutsu doesn’t concern itself

with matters of a spiritual nature.

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While it’s true that budo arts are not as effective as

the classical bujutsu methods in classical combat,

this represents combat in an ancient Japanese

feudal context. It doesn’t always correlate with

civilian self-protection today. In truth, some forms

of budo, having originated more recently, may be

more effective for modern, non-military self-

defense than certain forms of koryu bujutsu. To

quote Wayne Muromoto, a koryu bujutsu expert and

a member of the Shudokan Martial Arts Association

Board of Advisors:

Now then, I suppose there are those koryu tough

guys out there who would sneer,

“Yeah, that's why we're doing a jutsu style. Do

styles (like judo, kendo, aikido) are for wimps.

We're doing real aikijujutsu (or kenjutsu, or fork-

jutsu, etc.).”

Right. You go talk to actual honest-to-God

bujutsu masters and if they're nice they won’t

slap you upside your head for such an arrogant

attitude. Sure, they would think that whatever

they're doing is best for themselves, but most

master instructors are really pretty open fellows.

They’re wise enough to know that not everyone

can or should be part of the koryu bujutsu, and

that modern budo offers much for the modern

practitioner.

In a video interview and a public lecture I saw of

Otake Risuke, the current head of instruction of

the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu—one of

the oldest extant bujutsu schools in Japan—he

explicitly stated that all martial arts, including

bujutsu, should be for the purpose of budo; bu

meaning the “halting of hostilities,” not of

learning how to fight, and Do meaning a spiritual

path to enlightenment.

If classical bujutsu practitioners don’t engage in

classical combat or in tournaments, they must be

practicing koryu bujutsu because they enjoy it, or

because it maintains their physical and mental

health—inasmuch as they’re interested in it and are

getting something out of the practice. At least in

some respects koryu bujutsu practiced for personal

cultivation is budo, and while various aspects of

koryu bujutsu and budo are quite distinct, today

they are possibly as similar as they’re different.

The koryu are martial arts, which means something

employed in the past by a military group. They were

designed by military men for martial use in old

Japan. But then (and now), most armies aren’t

concerned with self-defense. Modern budo evolved

from these martial arts, but strictly speaking none

of the varied forms of budo are truly martial arts,

because they weren’t designed to be used in armed

military conflict.

That said, both modern budo and koryu martial arts

contain techniques that can be utilized, sometimes

very effectively, for self-protection. In certain cases,

a bit of modification may be required, but regardless

of this, neither budo or koryu bujutsu were created

exclusively for self-defense. Again, these are

multidimensional arts. Properly taught they include

aspects relating to Japanese history, philosophy,

aesthetics, health maintenance, strategy, and yes,

techniques that could be used for protecting

yourself from danger. If you’re part of a bona fide

group devoted to authentic koryu bujutsu and budo,

like the SMAA, you’ll be exposed to all these

elements in a positive and life-changing way.

I GET IT. BUDO ISN’T EXCLUSIVELY FOR SELF-

DEFENSE. BUT DOESN’T BUDO MEAN “MARTIAL ARTS”

OR “FIGHTING ARTS?”

Actually, it does not. Sento (戦闘) is one of the

Japanese words for “fighting;” senso (戦争) means

“war.” Bu (武) is something different. It’s composed

of two written elements; one suggests, “stopping,”

which can (in this sense) infer ceasing or laying

aside. The second component represents a weapon,

and bu can suggest the ceasing of conflict. And you

already know that Do means a Way. The term

“martial art,” although commonly used (even in my

writing above), may not be the most accurate way to

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translate budo, especially due to the lack of actual

military connection for the majority of budo forms.

Budo is really concerned with self-protection and

self-perfection more than fighting, and self-

protection in genuine budo means much more than

what Western people typically think of as “self-

defense.” Let me explain . . .

In 2012, according to the Federal Bureau of

Investigation (FBI), there were 14,827 murders in the

United States. This, of course, says nothing about

the number of people “merely” injured or raped in

violent crimes, but it also doesn’t indicate how the

people in 2012 were murdered. If someone was, for

example, poisoned or killed at a distance using a

weapon, the kind of training one receives in most

martial arts studios would have been of little use.

Certainly over 14,000 people being murdered is

cause for concern, but let’s put this figure in

perspective. As of 2014, the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate 600,000

people die annually in the USA from heart disease.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health

(NIMH), 34,598 people died in the United States

from suicide in 2007, with untreated depression

being the leading cause. If we include the number of

people injured via suicide attempts, the number

grows larger still. And this is to say nothing about

other health related deaths.

When many folks decide they want to study

“practical self-defense,” they’re concerned about

being killed or injured in a violent attack by another

person. This is a reasonable concern, but it needs to

be kept in perspective. In the U. S. (and several other

nations), we’re more likely to die by our own hand

than to be killed by someone else, and far more

likely to die from frequently preventable health

problems. From a purely practical standpoint, we

should look at the factors that are most likely to kill

or injure us when we consider the idea of self-

defense. And the statistics do not indicate that a

violent attack by another person causes the greatest

number of deaths—not even close.

In this context, if we’re really worried about

protecting ourselves from harm, we should embark

upon a program of training to improve our health

and uplift our minds, while avoiding unnatural

physical stress and reducing anxiety, paranoia, and

psychological ailments. This isn’t always what

people get in a martial arts class, but it can be found

in several forms of Japanese budo practiced

traditionally.

One of the most influential figures in modern budo

is Kano Jigoro Sensei, the founder of Kodokan judo.

Kano Sensei was a leading educator in Japan, who

created one of the most popular and instrumental

forms of budo. He invented the judo uniform (keiko

gi), which was adopted in varying ways by

practitioners of aikido, karate-do, and other arts. He

created the kyu and dan ranking system, along with

the black belt, which is so ubiquitous today in budo

and even some styles of koryu bujutsu. And he got

judo into the Japanese school system, by

emphasizing its practice as a means of health

improvement and mental training as well as self-

protection. So successful was this direction that

several other forms of budo, and even some versions

of koryu bujutsu, followed this general orientation,

too.

Yet, Kano Sensei envisioned his budo as a means for

improving the whole person—mentally and

physically—which would, in turn, result in self-

protection on a much larger scale than is found

when one focuses primarily on hand to hand

combat. He even sought to create a society based on

his two central maxims:

* Maximum efficiency of mind and body

* Mutual welfare and benefit

Through this uplifting of society as a whole, he

expected an overall improvement in people’s health,

a strengthening of their spirit, and a greater sense

of harmony, all of which would lead to less crime,

less violence, and longer life. Like many of the

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they taught much bigger than a form of combat, as

it originally included artistic, philosophical, and

meditative aspects. The same can be said, at least

today, for some types of koryu bujutsu. Real budo

takes a much broader and more pragmatic view of

what the concept of self-defense truly entails:

healthful and natural exercise, a positive philosophy

and worldview, training for profound calmness in

action, and techniques that can also be used if we’re

assaulted in daily life. But the last element is only

one of numerous beneficial byproducts of budo. The

goal of budo is not fighting, and in the strictest

sense it isn’t “martial,” although it is an art. The

genuine aim of budo is the enhancement of human

life and society in numerous different ways.

(To be continued . . .)

About the Author: H. E. Davey has been practicing

jujutsu for over 50 years. He is one of the founding

members of the SMAA, a Shihan and eighth dan in

the SMAA Jujutsu Division, and the author of

multiple books on Japanese culture, spirituality, and

traditional art forms. He has studied Japanese yoga,

martial arts, healing arts, and fine arts in Japan and

the USA for several decades.

Kano Jigoro Sensei teaching classic judo

founders of budo, Kano Sensei was an idealist. His

budo aimed at rational ways of training the body,

which avoided unnecessary injuries, and a profound

philosophy for enriching the psyche. Certainly

defenses against armed and unarmed attacks were

included in his judo (especially in prearranged forms

called kata), and judo could be practiced as a sport,

but he always thought of it as a multidimensional

study. (Unfortunately, much of judo has lost this

idea today, but classic Kodokan judo instruction can

still be found within the SMAA Judo Division.)

Quite a few other founders of budo have held views

similar to those of Kano Sensei. This makes what

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Shudokan Martial Arts

Association

PO Box 6022

Ann Arbor, MI 48106-6022

Phone:

1-734-645-6441

E-Mail: shudokan@smaa-hq.com

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Shudokan Martial Arts Association

PO Box 6022 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-6022